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Know Theatre says 'Welcome' by adding free Wednesdays

There are more than a few changes at Know Theatre in Cincinnati – the biggest and boldest being "The Welcome Experiment," which essentially translates to: Let's add Wednesday night shows and make them free.

There are more than a few changes at Know Theatre – the biggest and boldest being "The Welcome Experiment," which essentially translates to: Let's add Wednesday night shows and make them free.

The first is Aug. 13, for Sigrid Gilmer's "Harry & The Thief," which runs Aug. 8-30.

"If you love theater and want to see a show, you're welcome here," said producing artistic director Andrew Hungerford.

The $20 Main Stage ticket price is still among the lowest in town for professional theater.

The audience Know hopes to attract to the free Wednesday Main Stage shows are people from the neighborhood who might not otherwise be able to afford tickets, students, other artists and people who might be willing to take a chance on theater if it's free.

Hungerford readily admits the idea is borrowed from the Mixed Blood Theatre Company of Minneapolis. Mixed Blood has a version of it called Radical Hospitality.

Apart from wanting to make sure there are no economic barriers to theater, the people Tamara Winters would like to convert are "people who might not know they love theater."

Winters is a new addition to Know, too, joining the staff in late May as associate artistic director – its first since 2009, when Eric Vosmeier became producing artistic director.